The Bike Wife 1.0: Girls who ride...

Monday, August 1, 2011

Girls who ride...

...are hard to find. Kinda like superhot non D-bags.

That being said, I've found a couple of gals to ride with over the years. There's two general types.

A) I'm a girl who started riding because I'm athletic, I like adventure, I saw the boys doing it, and said I can do that too. I take life by the horns, and I show it who's boss. I'm fast, I'm fit, and I dont need lessons because I was born with skillz.

B) My boyfriend rides.

By the way, I fall in category 2, and I'm not making fun of it. I got into bikes because of the hubs; but that doesn't mean I haven't gained some affection for it on my own.

So two of my lady friends (one type A, one type B) and I decided Saturday would be ladies DH day. I had taken one of them out before, the other was in for a treat. We go to this place out in the middle of nowhere, CA. Its sorta between Lassen and Trinity and Shasta... Anyways, its amazing, so here's a photo that does it no justice:

Actually that kind of makes it look like a wasteland. Moving on...

Here's us girls between runs. My bikes are pictured. I think all 5 of us are quite pretty :)

We had a really fun day. I felt like everyone got to learn something new. I got to work on my speed and jumps, while another girl got comfortable with the steep loose stuff. Its easy to see why dudes are the primary sex in DH bike riding, but we were out to prove there's definitely some chicks on the scene!

All this time at Northstar and out in the hills on my DH bike have gotten me really excited for our upcoming travels. We're taking 2 weeks off work, racing bikes in Oregon, riding in Washington, and landing in ~~Disneyland~~ Whistler on next Wednesday! (After a summer of wedding planning last year, I promised Scott we would have "The Summer of Shred"... and I think we're on a good roll. For a husband and wife anyways!)

So Whistler should be all kinds of fun. LOTS of bikes, and beer, and beautiful not-hot weather... friends, food, and fun. I've got a beautiful condo with hot tub rented out, and I'm ready to provide free-flowing margaritas.

The one thing missing from our Whistler trip? The girl friend to ride with. Oh well. They're a rare species.

1 comment:

LoriAugust 1, 2011 at 4:34 PM
I can barely ride a bike, period. Oh wait, I think I rode a bike to school while I was in Chico. Def. the last time I got on a bike.

You are so badass, there are no words :)
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Bike Babble

Here's a list of terms to help decipher what the #@&*! I'm blogging about:

Berm - a turn in a trail, usually built up with hard packed dirt, or sometimes wood/rock. A berm's purpose is to allow/withstand the weight of a rider making an aggressive turn.

Chamois - the padded spandex shorts worn under loose mountain bike shorts, and never, ever on its own. Also, should never be worn a minute longer than absolutely necessary. Like a condom.

Clapped Out - and old, well used bike. It may have been nice at one time, but is now a POS.

Clipless - bicycle pedals that clip in to one's bike shoes, thus making the human and the bike into one cohesive unit.

DH - downhill; as in DH bike (more travel), or DH trail. Downhill mountain biking is gravity assisted decent down a mountain, usually with technical features like jumps, drops, and rocky sections. DH races are very technical, usually no climbing, and are only a few minutes in length.

Enduro - A multi-staged race that includes both climbing and descending, and can also include being shuttled to the top of a trail or mountain. Timed stages are usually downhill, un-timed stages uphill.

Fire Road - a large, wide open trail, usually the width of a 4-wheeler or truck, typically smoother dirt or gravel. Preferred by roadies who are trying to mountain bike.

Fork - the front end of the bike, below the handle bars. The fork compresses (see "travel") anywhere from 2-8 inches on a mountain bike , depending on the type, to allow for more aggressive riding.

Free Riding - a broader range of mountain bikers; generally used to describe individuals who build their own trails, use natural features as stunts, are creative in trail/jump building. Will hike-a-bike for good DH trail riding, will put blood, sweat, and tears into good trail building.

Full Suspension - front and rear suspension on a mountain bike: the fork in front, and a rear shock in back. Contrasts with a hard tail (a mountain bike with suspension only in the front) or a road bike or cruiser (no suspension at all).

Gap - the distance between the take off and landing of a jump or drop, ie: the spot where you and your bike are in the air.

Hucking - to commit to a very large jump, drop, or gap, usually a very large stunt.

Loamy - soft, highly organic dirt. Desirable. Not rocky. Think Oregon and Washington conditions.

MTB - Mountain Biking

North Rim - A local Chico trail that is extremely rough and rocky. Quite steep in some places, less in others, but a steady climb for several miles. There are barely any trees, and it is the bane of my existence.

Shred - to ride vigorously, synonymous with "ripping" and "killing it".

Shuttle - the means of getting up to the top of a mountain/hill where a downhill trail starts. Usually in the form of a truck, or "shuttle truck".

Single Track - a narrow trail that is approximately the width of the bike. It is frequently smooth and flowing, but it may also exhibit technical rocky sections and may be criss-crossed with tree roots. Considered the best type of trail on which to ride mountain bikes.

Super D - a long downhill race with some climbing. Not nearly as much climbing as in XC, or as long of a race. Usually Super D has more technical downhill features, and lasts 20-30 minutes.

Travel - the amount that the fork is able to compress, thus, the larger amounts of force the bike can withstand.

XC - Cross Country, as in XC bike (less travel) or XC trail (uphill & downhill). XC racing is up and down hills, and courses are typically several miles long, and can take 2-4 hours to complete.